Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday came down heavily upon Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTM Nagpur University) authorities for absolutely casual approach towards valuation of answer-sheets of Engineering students.

Seeking a definite statement from RTM Nagpur University VC, Dr. Vilas Sapkal, whether to conduct re-examination or re-assessment of answer-sheets of all aggrieved engineering students, and future course of action about fate of thousands of students who could not clear the examinations due to casual, callous and improper valuation.

A division bench consisting of Justices Bhushan Gavai and A P Bhangale, while hearing hearing a petition filed by Pupul Borkar and 105 other engineering students from various semesters from different colleges regarding poor and improper evaluation of their answer-sheets, have posted the hearing on Wednesday when by 10.30 the VC is directed to submit the reply.

On November 30, the High Court had directed RTM Nagpur University to get the eight answer-sheets of petitioners, on random basis reassessed by independent assessors, who were not parties to the earlier assessment procedure.

The judges were upset after reviewing the report of this independent committee of assessors and wondered how RTM Nagpur University can have such lax attitude towards the future of the students. The report has shown remarkable improvement in marks in all the eight answer-sheets, with difference touching as high as 29 marks. The court wondered about the evaluators’ competency.

The university tried hard to justify increase in marks by attributing it to individual assessment opinion. But the court held that, ” A change of one or two marks in a couple of answer-sheets can be ignored and treated as an isolated incidence. But such major differences can’t be.”

The judges rejected university’s demand for non-interference of judiciary remarking that, “Such blatant mistakes can’t be ignored.” The High Court while expressing deep anguish and giving RTM Nagpur University a severe dressing down, warned of drastic action if appropriate steps were not taken.